I am a few credits away from graduating with a degree in business administration. The problem is with pre requisites it will take me two part time semesters from graduating. My advisor told me if I go full time in those semesters I can graduate with a minor in marketing. I was wondering will it be worth it to spend the extra tuition money to get a minor in marketing. Or should I go part time and work and just save money. I think getting the minor maybe the best choice because I already have a lot of work experience as a marketing associate for a remodeling company, it could make me a step ahead of other recent grads. Also since business admin is so broad it shows I have a focus in something.

im entering my senior year, so i can't exactly tell you if it is worth it, but when i tell people i know in the finance/business field that i have a double-minor in stats & econ they tend to be impressed.

For the most part, the only important thing is to have the paper. I did part time and the jump in price for a few classes to full time was massive. If you're talking 6k PT vs. 30k full time . . . yeah, F that. I can't imagine a marketing minor is going to be worth much long term (unless you're planning to go a marketing route for jobs) but it is a tremendously competitive market, so the minor could very well be the deciding factor for you if you're otherwise neck-and-neck with some other candidate for a position.

I just graduated and didn't have a minor. They wouldn't let me double major in two programs in the same department so I just took all the classes (sans one) for a double. I just call it a major and an emphasis. Minors are irrelevant.

If the time frame is the same, and the actual cost is under $8k, do the minor, as it can't hurt your credentials. You mentioned Business Administration. What was your concentration? That will mean a lot. IT, International Business, Finance, and HR are strong things to have on your resume. Marketing as a stand-alone says to employers "I have no hard skills". It is the weakest of the common business majors for a Bachelors. There are essentially zero entry level marketing jobs with major companies. In the post 2008 economy, those jobs just aren't coming back or are being filled by existing personnel or those with marketing MBA's.

End of the day, your degree matters far less than your professional experience. Did you run/start/lead clubs while in school? Did you work or do internships? Do you have a professional network? Your marketability as a professional is directly related to the skills you can provide and the people you know. There is a 95% chance that your jobs will come from a personal recommendation or a business reference for an internal posting. There is also an outside shot that you can get hired via a recruiter/head hunter. Applying for jobs on your own or via a company web site is essentially a waste of time.

I'm happy to consult anyone for job search or resume stuff. Part of my paying it forward. :)

If the time frame is the same, and the actual cost is under $8k, do the minor, as it can't hurt your credentials. You mentioned Business Administration. What was your concentration? That will mean a lot. IT, International Business, Finance, and HR are strong things to have on your resume. Marketing as a stand-alone says to employers "I have no hard skills". It is the weakest of the common business majors for a Bachelors. There are essentially zero entry level marketing jobs with major companies. In the post 2008 economy, those jobs just aren't coming back or are being filled by existing personnel or those with marketing MBA's.

End of the day, your degree matters far less than your professional experience. Did you run/start/lead clubs while in school? Did you work or do internships? Do you have a professional network? Your marketability as a professional is directly related to the skills you can provide and the people you know. There is a 95% chance that your jobs will come from a personal recommendation or a business reference for an internal posting. There is also an outside shot that you can get hired via a recruiter/head hunter. Applying for jobs on your own or via a company web site is essentially a waste of time.

I'm happy to consult anyone for job search or resume stuff. Part of my paying it forward. :)

**** me sideways.

Either way I got a marketing position right after graduation. So in your face. And IMO Management is the weakest business concentration.

Yeah I majored in Management but had all the classes except for one in Financial Economics, so I just call it an emphasis or concentration. Management is definitely the easiest major ever though. Super boring and easy classes.

If the time frame is the same, and the actual cost is under $8k, do the minor, as it can't hurt your credentials. You mentioned Business Administration. What was your concentration? That will mean a lot. IT, International Business, Finance, and HR are strong things to have on your resume. Marketing as a stand-alone says to employers "I have no hard skills". It is the weakest of the common business majors for a Bachelors. There are essentially zero entry level marketing jobs with major companies. In the post 2008 economy, those jobs just aren't coming back or are being filled by existing personnel or those with marketing MBA's.

End of the day, your degree matters far less than your professional experience. Did you run/start/lead clubs while in school? Did you work or do internships? Do you have a professional network? Your marketability as a professional is directly related to the skills you can provide and the people you know. There is a 95% chance that your jobs will come from a personal recommendation or a business reference for an internal posting. There is also an outside shot that you can get hired via a recruiter/head hunter. Applying for jobs on your own or via a company web site is essentially a waste of time.

I'm happy to consult anyone for job search or resume stuff. Part of my paying it forward. :)

This! Trust me, I have over a decade of experience, a decent network and an excellent resume and still can't find a new company to pick me up. Have a good job but I'm brushing the ceiling and job boards are a complete waste of time. Most estimates have it at a minimum of 70% of jobs being filled without ever posting.

I'll add my name to the list of bzasa started as a resume assistant. I love that ish.

If the time frame is the same, and the actual cost is under $8k, do the minor, as it can't hurt your credentials. You mentioned Business Administration. What was your concentration? That will mean a lot. IT, International Business, Finance, and HR are strong things to have on your resume. Marketing as a stand-alone says to employers "I have no hard skills". It is the weakest of the common business majors for a Bachelors. There are essentially zero entry level marketing jobs with major companies. In the post 2008 economy, those jobs just aren't coming back or are being filled by existing personnel or those with marketing MBA's.

End of the day, your degree matters far less than your professional experience. Did you run/start/lead clubs while in school? Did you work or do internships? Do you have a professional network? Your marketability as a professional is directly related to the skills you can provide and the people you know. There is a 95% chance that your jobs will come from a personal recommendation or a business reference for an internal posting. There is also an outside shot that you can get hired via a recruiter/head hunter. Applying for jobs on your own or via a company web site is essentially a waste of time.

I'm happy to consult anyone for job search or resume stuff. Part of my paying it forward. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

**** me sideways.

Either way I got a marketing position right after graduation. So in your face. And IMO Management is the weakest business concentration.

Congrats to you, sir. You might have gotten lucky, or perhaps you had skills or a network or the credentials to land the job. I'm glad you are doing well. From my experience of job searching in 2010 after being laid off, plus what I'm seeing now helping some of my mentees and my brother find jobs post-grad, the DC/Baltimore/Philadelphia/NYC markets have incredibly limited marketing jobs, especially with large organizations.

Management is pretty generic as an undergrad degree, so I see your point.

If the time frame is the same, and the actual cost is under $8k, do the minor, as it can't hurt your credentials.

I can't speak towards this situation, but I've known companies that look down upon people who get Masters' degrees in college (specifically in Mathematics, but it applies in other areas as well) because "they were going for a Doctorate but couldn't hack it so they got a Masters."

I can't speak to Math or academia. I have 12 years' experience all throughout the financial industry (insurance and financial software). In my experience, you can get an entry level and experienced position with a combination of a relevant Bachelors degrees, coupled with hard skills (like analysis, project management, leadership, entrepreneurship, etc.). The easiest way to demonstrate those skills is work experience or participation in extracurriculars. Participate in student government, start an association at school, etc.

For instance, when I was in school, I was a co-founder of Class Council (club that brought my class together with group activities and linked up with alumni), plus I joined the Business Fraternities, played in and managed a rock band, and I did volunteer work with Best Buddies. During my school breaks, I worked at 3 brokerage firms, a guerilla marketing startup, Prudential insurance, a local bank as a teller, and the summer before my senior year, I interned for the IRS. I had connections, recommendations, and legitimate skills that could transfer anywhere. Couple that with a 3.4 GPA, a Finance/Marketing double major, and the ability to interview and think on my feet, and I was pretty sought-after by companies.

Now, I will say that I got lucky and graduated in 2002, when the economy was super hot, and everyone was hiring. With that being said, there is never a substitute for work experience, practical life experience, and a professional network.

End of the day, your degree matters far less than your professional experience. Did you run/start/lead clubs while in school? Did you work or do internships? Do you have a professional network? Your marketability as a professional is directly related to the skills you can provide and the people you know. There is a 95% chance that your jobs will come from a personal recommendation or a business reference for an internal posting. There is also an outside shot that you can get hired via a recruiter/head hunter. Applying for jobs on your own or via a company web site is essentially a waste of time.

I'm happy to consult anyone for job search or resume stuff. Part of my paying it forward. :)

Im in a frat now I had a few positions in it but nothing serious. My summer job is a marketing associate w/ a remodeling company I go door to door setting up appointments(sounds terrible but from what ppl have been saying to me that will actually look good on a resume). And I really don't think I have much of a professional network. I plan on doing SIFE this upcoming semester. I am looking at the papers my advisor gave me and it looks like it maybe possible I can get a minor in leadership/organizational development. would that be better then marketing?

Your job is a job, and that's good. If you are only doing part time work next semester, work on getting something else with clear skills or opportunities. Working for local politicians or campaigns is helpful and looks good. Bank telling shows responsibility and customer service. You want measurable achievements wherever possible.

IM a business admin major w/ no real concentration. That is why im really thinking about minoring in something. And canvassing does have attainable goals, for example a few months back I lead the office in sales and im currently 3rd in pitches etc things like that.

Work achievements = excellent! Make sure your superiors are able to be references for you in the future. Maybe they know someone who can help you, as well. Professors are a great resource, as well.

As for your major, you will either need to supplement your studies with some work experience and leadership, or you must add some form of a concentration. Unfortunately, that concentration could come at a pretty serious cost. That cost might not be worth it in today's job market.

My instinct here for you is to not do any kind of a minor. Get the degree and up your work skills wherever you can. It would also be nice to know what you want to actually do. You should be getting experience in the industry where you want to work.

Geography with an emphasis in GIS (still debating if I like GIS) with minors in Pre-Law and Sports Geography.

Geography is pretty broad, and some people would say its along the lines of history and art degrees, meaning it doesnt have value. But I have come to realize that its in demand in some areas of the government, and the GIS part is also suppose to help me out.

The Pre-Law minor apparently throws people off because of how I act, but people normally say that it shows I can broaden myself (not sticking myself to just social sciences) and its also good to have a basic knowledge of the courts.

The sports geography doesnt mean ****. They are actually making the minor for me, as I am learning about it on the fly. But hey, you can major in it at Oklahoma State and its a class at FSU!

Also, having this internship from Boston and a wealth of community services/ awards will help build my resume', whenever I learn to build one correctly.

It's what you do outside the class as a business major that will set you up for success. I just graduated as a business major and know a ton of people who have not found jobs because they didn't do anything in college. In the end you will have the degree and that is what matters as far as having a degree goes.

Why not go full time, live on/near campus and really bulk up your resume with some leadership positions and skills. Fr@ life can be a good way to take up some of those positions that could end up teaching you skills and looking great on your resume if you take them seriously enough.

Comp Sci or Information Technology will likely have a better chance of getting you hired. However, you can get your degree in anything that has its basis in analysis or mathematics and be quite fine. In the end, your skills and experience and network (who you know) counts for the most.

When job hunting, look at yourself as a product. You, as a product, provide value to your employer in some way. Your skills are the attributes of your product and your brand. Your experience is a validation that you can do what you say you can do. Your network is akin to a friend recommending your "brand". It breaks down barriers.

90% of jobs these days are filled by internal hires (jobs never posted externally) or by personal recommendations from current employees. Who you know matters a TON.

In the end, organizations will hire someone with some skills if they have the personality that fits. The strategy is called "Hiring for fit, teaching skills." For instance, I didn't have 100% of what my current boss was looking for. We both admit that I had 70% of what was needed, but I had 100% of the personality she wanted. Over the past 2 years, she and I have built those other 30%. She has also hired new college grads with 20% skills and worked to make up that 80%. Fit matters both ways.